


Chronicles of Jack: My Cousin Kyra

by Im Riddicks Bitch (DixionDiva)



Series: The Chronicles of Jack [2]
Category: Pitch Black (2000), The Chronicles of Riddick (2004)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-18
Updated: 2014-06-23
Packaged: 2018-01-19 21:55:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 8
Words: 25,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1485433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DixionDiva/pseuds/Im%20Riddicks%20Bitch
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What really happened to Jack and who was Kyra? Why does she want Jack to learn all her foster father and their friend don't?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> AN: We find out what happened when Riddick left.

_**Chronicles of Jack:** _

_**My Cousin Kyra** _

_**Chapter 1** _

     We made it to New Mecca; I am getting ready to enroll in school. Riddick is Richard now. He and the Imam have gone looking for a house separately and all of us together. Finally satisfied with one, my foster father, the Imam, Abu al-Walid has filled out the paperwork to make the two of us citizens of New Mecca. It's one of the stipulations Richard asked for. Now I am dressed in a skirt and blouse to please my foster father. We have a copy of our citizen application and copies of our foster family approval as well as a lot of papers saying things like my parents died on planet blah, my uncle died on some other planet and as the only other survivor of the Hunter-Gratzner crash on Hades, Abu took responsibility for me.

     My paperwork says my birth name was legally changed to Jack at age seven, and again to Jackie on New Mecca, I'm told it will be sealed and no one will be able to access this information once it is. We are headed to the school I'll be attending and now I am getting nervous. My hair is at an awkward stage; it's all stubbly and sticks up all over the place. I wanted to shave it off again, but Abu and Richard said no. So here I am feeling stupid and angry with them for putting down female on the paperwork. I know they felt it was time, I wouldn't be able to be non-gendered for much longer, but at least they could have let me keep my boys clothes until my hair grew out some more.

     The principal is ready for us and she puts me into a room to assess my placement. I'm reading at a higher grade level and math is only a little ahead of my age group. My writing is above level, but penmanship is sloppy. I don't really care because the brochure I was reading while waiting says we'll do most of the schoolwork on tablets or pads. I am good with computers Richard's taught me a few tricks. Science is right at grade level and knowledge for physical education is far more advanced than I let on. I did as Richard said and let them know I understood, but must be careful about showing them what I can do.

     Now I'm enrolled and we are walking out of the office. There are people everywhere and they are all staring at me, only my foster father's hand on my shoulder keeps me from either saying anything or bolting. I see that everyone has on uniforms and I am disappointed, because everywhere I look, the girls are in skirts or girly slacks. I am not very happy, but I wait until we are outside to speak. Looking at Abu I ask, "Can I at least get the guy's uniform?" He looks sympathetic, but shakes his head, "I am sorry Jack, and they have strict rules, so we cannot buy you the boy’s uniform."

     We go to the shop where the uniform is sold and my foster father goes a bit nuts, I can't believe he has bought so many outfits, five long skirts, short skirts and blouses. Three pairs of slacks, tee shirts and pairs of the longest female shorts they have for p. e. and three sweaters for cooler weather. A jacket for winter and a rain coat for rainy days. Five pairs of school shoes and three pairs of tennis shoes for P. E. After all that he still insisted on two different back packs, a messenger bag and two purses. I rolled my eyes at those. Then we went to the electronics store and he got me a phone, a tablet and a laptop for home.

     I felt so strange, I was happy he cared enough to get me so many things, but felt like I owed him something because he was being so generous. We went home in a cab due to the amount of packages we had. Richard walked out to meet us and helped carry in the loot. He'd ordered take out so we wouldn't have to cook and they told me to try on the clothes and show them. I put on a fashion show for them, reading the dress code section of my rules and regulations booklet. I made a few outfits including using the P.E. shorts which are uniform bottoms as I pointed out to Abu when he said he did not think that ensemble was aloud. Richard laughed so hard that he fell off the couch. I had plugged in my phone and my tablet as soon as we got home and I was getting the laptop set up when Richard came to call me for dinner. He got on and did some stuff to get me top level protection on the laptop, tablet and phone. Then we went downstairs and ate dinner. After that I went to the schools website with the information we'd gotten from the principal and I saw my class schedule. Then I took the tablet out to the living room and did some work to catch me up with my classes. Abu helped with the math and science I had to answer and Richard helped with the history of certain wars. He knew the military version and so I had some great insights. The rest was reading, spelling and grammar. I finished the homework in a few hours and so my entire weekend was going to be free.

     Richard was down stairs in his room; I showered and put on the tee shirt he'd given me to sleep in on our way to New Mecca. I went to say good night to my foster father and to Richard. Giving each a hug and saying good night I went to my room. A few hours later Richard snuck in and lay down on top of the covers. I smiled and he whispered, "You need to get used to sleeping without me kid." My heart started pounding and he pulled me into his arms. Sighing in resignation he whispered, "Jackie Boy, what am I gonna do with you?" I lay there in his arms and he whispered, "Get some sleep; we're going jogging in the morning."

    _**{I was trying to get to Shazza, but Johns had me in a choke hold and Fry stood there taunting Riddick as he struggled to escape the restraints. Abu and the boys were staked out on the ground and the others were just bones scattered around. I tried to scream when I saw the planet rising, but Johns put a hand over my mouth and then I heard as if from far away.}**_

     "Sh-sh Jack, I've got you; you're safe on New Mecca in the Holy Man's house and I'm with you." My eyes fluttered open and I see his eye shine, taking shaky breaths I calm down. He has removed his hand from my mouth, I must have started to scream or maybe yell out his name. He holds me close and asks if I want to talk about it. I tell him the dream and he says I am feeling confined by the uniform, that I see him and the Holy Man as being bound and unable to help me.

     He holds me and I fall asleep in his arms, in the morning around daybreak, he wakes me and tells me to get my P. E. clothes on, he'll be waiting for me downstairs. He's waiting for me and we go out to jog. We go around the block first and he greats all the neighborhood dogs, introduces me to them too. Then we run to the school and he meets all the dogs on both sides of the street. He tells me to bring some dog biscuits on Monday and give them all one. They will keep an eye on me when he can't. He shows me how to introduce myself and even makes me confront one that seems aggressive. He tells me his inner animal makes him the Alpha in each relationship he cultivates; Tells me my inner animal is learning to be an Alpha, not sure I believed him.

     We pick up some fruit at the market place and head for home. While we make breakfast he tells me about his education in the penal system. He had been sent to juvie at the age of eleven, spent six months there and went back to the orphanage. By age fourteen he was back in juvie for a two year stint and at sixteen he was sent to a military reform school for two years, then he turned eighteen and they encouraged him to join the military where they taught him to be a better killer. When my foster father got up we ate breakfast together and then Richard invited me on a walk, saying we needed to talk.

     We went for the walk and he told me he wanted me to live a good life, do good things, be a good person and above all LIVE. I didn't want to know, but I had to ask the question. "Richard, why are you telling me all this?" He told me, "Jack, I really got to go. I've been here longer than I meant to be. It isn't safe for any of us, kid. The Mercs didn't believe you two when you said the convict died on the planet. They will eventually come looking here and I stand out even in this big city. I'm leaving today, got a seat on a passenger ship." I stopped walking and grabbed his arm, looking at me he moved us to the side of the park path we were walking. "You can't go! How am I supposed to get any sleep? You can't just leave me like this! I mean, how am I supposed to -- to be good and everything else you said I have to be. I need you to teach me, you said we are a pack; that we are family!"

     "Jack, calm down. Let’s talk about this." He said and I could feel he was exerting some force to make me comply. I felt my body lowering, submitting to him. That thought made me mad! _ **{NO!}**_ I thought and then I said, "Talk? Talk is cheap, remember! If you GO, so will I! I'll follow you!" "Jack, don’t do this. Just... listen, _please_." Richard sat down on a bench and sat me down next to him.

     "You can't do this, you promised me!" I felt the tears well in my eyes I didn't want to cry but the tears came anyway; Richard took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh. "What? What did I Promise You? “I gritted my teeth and didn't answer.”I promised to get you to New Mecca, I did that! I promised to teach you to protect yourself, I did that! What else did I promise that I haven't done?" He was definitely bent out of shape. I had accused him of the worst thing I could have and it was uncalled for, I had no other promises from him. Just an affirmation of staying here with me, when he was half drunk and almost asleep.

     "Jack, come on. You know I’d stay if I could, but I am not putting you in that kind of danger. I'm going; it's the right thing to do." He said softly trying to calm me down, to make me listen to reason. In anger and frustration I said the first thing that came to mind, "I'll join the next Merc ship that comes through! I'll learn to track and I'll come after you!" " _What!?_ What did you say?" The people passing saw nothing wrong with this calm man asking a question so softly of the shaking frightened girl, but they could not feel the pressure of his Alpha to my subservient animal and they didn't smell the Anger. I had never seen him so angry, I was genuinely so frightened by him right now and I did not know what to do, so I bolted.

     I took off, let myself go as fast as I could weaving between people and dodging cars to cross streets, He ran up next to me and I turned down a side street. He beat me to the other side and I ran into an alley, but he grabbed me up and I used everything he had taught me to make him let go, but he knew all those moves and easily avoided or took the blows. Throwing me over his shoulder he began to walk, yelling and hitting him got no response, so embarrassed and angry I lay like a sack of potatoes over his shoulder. Suddenly he stopped and pulling me back into his arms I barely had time to look around when he dropped me into a fountain.

     I screamed in anger as I stood up, "When you've calmed down," he said in a serene voice, "you can get out." I walked to the edge and he just stood and watched me, when I lifted my foot to step on the edge of the fountain he was there and pulled my leg so I slipped and fell back into the fountain. I was up and across the fountain in a few seconds, but he was there and I had no way of evading him as I had already jumped, he caught me easily and put me back into the fountain. "You Asshole! Let me out!" I yelled at him. "When you calm down." was his calm reply to which I screamed in frustration. Then I kicked at the water and splashed him, I did it again, he stood there and took it.

     Cupping my hand I splashed him once more and he jumped onto the edge of the fountain. "My turn," he said and laughing I moved away. He kicked water at me and shaking his head he intercepted me as I tried to edge my way to the side to get out of the fountain. He splashed me and I splashed him back. He redirected a spray of water to hit me in the chest and laughing I side stepped and kicked water at him to make him move. Tried evading his next splash, I stepped on coins in the fountain and felt them shift under my weight. Reacting quickly I put out a hand to catch myself, but he had already caught me and was lifting me into his arms. Holding me close I felt his heart racing and a ting of fear in his scent.

     Hugging him tightly I said in his ear, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be a pain; I-I'm gonna miss you." Then burying my face in his neck I breath great lungs full of his scent because I know that soon, I won't have it anymore. He nuzzles me and then we are walking, when he puts me down I see we are back in the park. He asked me, "You do understand why I have to leave, don't you?" I nod at him and look away, he said, "Tell me." Taking a breath I said, "You’re a wanted felon and worth a lot dead, worth more alive! Mercs would use me to get to you, they'd hurt me. They would also use anyone I'm close to, to get to me; and they might even kill them. Me they would keep alive to make you comply." He nodded, telling me "Dangerous for me to stay or for you to know where I am or how to get in touch." I blinked hard and clearing my throat said, "There's a flaw in that plan, though." He stared at me and I continued, "I would have to be alive to be used against you, I couldn't let them use me to get to you; I'd kill myself first."

     "NO!" he said in a growl, "If they get you, you will escape; you will run! You will not die for me! **DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!** " I stared at him and I must have looked defiant to him because he continued, "Too many people have stood between death and you, so you can _**LIVE**_ , including me! How the fuck would they feel if you threw their sacrifice away to save a CONVICT?" Pulling me into his arms he said "Not For Me!" I'd been blinking fast trying not to cry again, when I felt a warm drop hit my cheek from above. For a moment I thought it might have started to rain. He squeezed me once and let me go, moving back I froze. I stood slack-jawed as I saw the source of the drop was not the sky, but his eye. Stared at the track it had followed down his cheek to fall onto mine.

     The thought of my death at my own hand to ensure his safety, had made the Biggest Bad around shed a tear. This right here was the moment I decided I was going to LIVE, truly live my life. I would be good, do good things, hell maybe even help others to live good lives. Taking a shaky breath I said to him, "I understand. No suicide, no courting death and no tempting fate. I promise Ri- Richard, I'll live a good life; I'll do good things and live a long and happy life. If I am caught, I will escape and run till I am safe. I **will not die** for  you or anyone else. _ **I WILL LIVE!**_ "

     Hugging me again he said against my temple, "Good Girl!" He kissed the top of my head as I hugged him fiercely and thought the words I could not say aloud, _**{I Love You, Riddick!}**_ He takes my right hand and threads the fingers of his left through mine. He tells me, "I want to do something, it might help..." Smiling up at him with all the trust I have showing on my face, I get a smile and a head shake in return.

     Taking out a shiv from an armband hidden up his sleeve, he let the sunlight flash off of it. I had no fear, because I knew he was very skilled with knives and it would do no damage that he did not want it to. This shiv was double edged and sharp. Just long enough to glide right into the sweet spot. He swung our linked hands forward and put the knife between our arms. Holding my hand tightly to keep me from moving and causing more damage than he intends. I watch in fascination and keep perfectly still when he pulls the knife out, slitting the skin of our arms in twin lines. Sniffing he smiles toothily and presses our arms together.

     Strangely, I imagine his blood going into my body and mine into his. He says to me, "There, now you'll always have a part of me inside you and I'll have a part of you inside me. I'll always be with you, even if I'm far away." Smiling at me he picked up my arm and kissed the thin cut, it had already stopped bleeding. We walked to the port and spotted Abu, waiting for us; standing with a duffle bag. We say our good-byes and I stand there blinking back tears. Looking at my foster father he said, "Don't forget what I said, Holy Man." Abu nodded and replied, "I will not forget, Richard. I gave you my word."

     It all seemed cryptic to me, we watched him board and Abu stood with me until the craft was out of sight, then he steered me home. As we walked I tried to keep my mind blank. As soon as I was inside the front door, I ran to my room and cried into his pillow. Abu came to get me for lunch and I would not go eat, I refused to speak and continued to cry. My foster father was beside himself with worry; he called a woman he had met in church for some advice. Instead of advice she asked for some information, and then came over with a bag full of pints of ice-cream.

     After a courtesy knock, Lajjun let herself in and pulled out two spoons. Gave me first choice and I let the anger at her intrusion go as we ate in silence. After we started on the second pint she asked if I wanted to talk about it. I shook my head no, but started talking anyway. "He told me to be good, to do good things, but he left and he's not coming back. Everyone I've cared about... my parents, Shazza, Fry -- they had no choice -- They DIED! H--He's made this choice; to keep me safe, but I only feel safe WITH HIM! H-he's left me here with the holy man 'cause he knows he'll treat me right, won't hurt me or use me."

     She sat quietly, waiting for me to continue after I sobbed and caught my breath. Then I cried out, "How am I supposed to not care about Abu? H-he was there, he protected me, WE Survived Together! I already Care about him--and I've lost everyone I have ever cared about! Everyone who's cared about ME! I C-can't L-lose h-him too!" She held me and rocked me as I cried. Continuing, I said, "I promised, Ri--" I let out a sob of frustration. "I promised that I'd live a good life. If I lose Abu, I'll have no one! I don't know where he's going, how to get in touch with him. What will I do then? I'll have no one! I'll be all alone!" I continued to cry.

     She held me and rocked me; let me cry myself to sleep. Much later, when I woke up I found myself in her arms and she was humming softly. Sitting up I realized the bag of ice-cream, the empty pints and the spoons were gone. Smiling at me she asked, "Would you like to freshen up?" nodding shyly I accepted a soft set of pajamas and slippers, a container of bubble bath and a fluffy towel. Running a hot bath, I poured in some bubble bath, and then put the things on the counter and the towel on the rod. Turning off the water, I stripped and stepped into the bath. Soon Lajjun knocked on the bathroom door to say, "When you have finished, Jackie, I will be downstairs with your foster father. Please join us." I called out, "Okay, I'll be down in a few minutes." She said, "Take your time, there is no rush." When the water got cold I let the water out and turned on the shower to rinse off and wash my hair. Soon I was dressed and my hair was wrapped in the towel.

     I went downstairs to find that we were eating a really late dinner or a really early breakfast. When the mouthwatering scents reached my nose, I realized two things. One, I had a monster headache and two, I was starving. My stomach growled bringing the couple's attention to me. In that moment I saw it so clearly, it was what both wanted and it was what both felt could never be. I could not help, but compare it to my situation. A stab of pain in my chest reminded me of my promise that I would not fall in love with a convict, but that was a mute point because it had already been too late. I was in love with one already and I was not sure I would be able to stop comparing guys to this one and find them all lacking something.

     Smiling at them softly, I said "Hey." Abu smiled and opened his arms as he stood up. I ran into his arms and he held me close and said, "We are going to be fine, Jack. I will not leave you, we have survived Hades and we have come all this way to New Mecca. We have been through much, you and I. We will go through much more, but I promise you that I will not leave you alone." I gave him a watery smile and nodded once in affirmation. He wiped my tears and kissed my forehead. Turning to Lajjun, I smiled at her and went into her open arms as well. I whispered, "Thank you so much for being here for me." She said softly, "You won't be alone child, I will be here for you, always."

     We ate and talked for a while and then Abu offered her the guest room which was Richard's old room. I bit my lip, to keep from saying 'No.' I wanted her to stay, but I didn't want her to sleep in his bed, even if he spent so little time there himself. She shook her head and said, "I must return to my own home." So we insisted on paying for a cab and asked that she call to let us know she had made it home safely. After the call came we went to bed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Her foster father was not supposed to let her anywhere near Convicts or Mercs. He didn't know about the incident until after the fact. Soon after there's an attempt to catch her.

**Chronicles of Jack:**

**My Cousin Kyra**

**Chapter 2**

     I have been with my foster father for a good while now. I was trying to do as he wanted; to be good and say the right things. Try to control my temper and not use my skills to fight people who aren't up to me. My friend Richard had asked me to be good, too. He told me a lot of people have stood between me and death, they wanted me to LIVE. He thought Mercs might find out about our friendship, I would have to be prepared. Unfortunately, it happened when I was with friends from school, we had gone to the local zoo. Some guy was trying to escape the Mercs that had caught him once already.

     My foster father was not supposed to let me anywhere near Convicts or Mercs. He told me it was one of the stipulations for him to never get a visit from our mutual friend in the middle of the night. I would really not be okay if our friend did anything to my foster father. I had avoided such situations for a full year. Now at fifteen, I found myself with no way out of this one. I found myself at the zoo with a few friends and then there were people running and screaming, I looked around and yelled, "Come on." I led my friends toward the closest exit only to run into Mercs who would let no one through.

     Suddenly someone grabbed my friend by her ponytail, and yanked her against him. I pushed the others to a wall and said stay down as we crouched there. The Merc in charge told the convict to let the girl go and come along quietly, I snorted, how stupid would the guy have to be to do that? Thinking fast I said in a shaky voice, "Please Mister, Don't hurt my friend. I'll be your hostage." I hoped he would think I was scared. Shelly was short and skinny, not good cover to hide behind. I was closer to the guy’s height and curvy enough to catch his eye. So he told me to get up and get between the Mercs and him, then he put a gun to my head and threw my friend to the floor.

     I came here all the time to volunteer my time with the animals, I guess I missed my friend and his inner animal, that coming here and spending time with these animals made me feel closer to him. I told the convict that we could back up to a door marked employees only, which was right behind us. He told the Mercs that we were not to be followed. My volunteer badge was on my sleeve and activated the door to let us through. We go through the door and the Mercs say "Fuck, he's nuts!" The door led to the wolf encloser.

     I was not scared to enter here; I play with the wolves in the smaller run where the patrons can't see. They feel I am one of them. So when he looks around and finds we are surrounded by wolves he points his gun at one and I elbow him in the solar plexus, then sweep his legs and break his arm, so he can't shoot, when he tries to aim at me. Then I kick him hard and picked up his weapon. Growling at the alpha male I pull the convict out the door and turn him over to the Mercs. Two had unfortunately run to the front of the encloser and saw me take him down.

     They asked where I learned to fight and asked if I want a job; to get off this berg and see the worlds. I told them I take self-defense classes and that I do so to protect myself from people like the convict, I didn't say that I would use it on Mercs too, if I needed to. I tell them that they cannot tell people that I took the convict down that I wanted no press about it because my foster father might be in danger if this went worlds wide. They agreed and my friends, too were sworn to secrecy not that I was expecting their promises to be kept.

     Sure enough I was dodging questions all the next day from the moment I got to school. "Hey Jackie, how did you get away? Did he really take you into the wolf enclosure? Where you scared? Did he hurt you? Did he rape you?" just to name a few of them. I told them all, "Nothing happened! He tripped over himself when he saw the wolves and I dragged him out." I told them I worked at the zoo for my volunteer hours and so I knew the wolves had been fed and I was not afraid."

     Few of my close friends knew I was not afraid of the animals because I had seen real monsters that smelled my blood and wanted to eat me. No one, but my foster father knew that I'd had my very own monster to protect me from the others. That he had killed for me and I had reciprocated. I feared he might really come in the middle of the night to hurt Abu al-Walid and leave without even a 'Hey Kid.' to let me know he was alive.

     The rumors spread fast and of course it reached my foster father, he confronted me about a week later. "Jack, why did you not tell me? You were not harmed were you?" I told him, "Father, I am fine, it was nothing. I had to save my friend from the convict and the Mercs who'd have gone through her to get their guy." "He took you into the wolf enclosure? Was he thinking to die or literally throw you to the wolves, and make an escape?" "Promise not to get mad?" I asked him, at his shrewd look I continued, "I told him to go into the employee only door and took him out when the wall was between us and the others. I volunteer at the zoo and the wolves know me I was in no danger from them."

     He prayed with me that this little incident would not go farther. I wasn't real religious and he didn't want to force me, but then I would have felt guilty about not praying with him when he asked. I did tell him that some of the Mercs had seen me take the convict down. I worried that they might remember a kid and a holy man who had survived a planet of monsters and that a known serial killer had died there, too. When nothing farther happened, and life got back to some semblance of normal, I let down my guard and relaxed.

     One week later, all hell broke loose. I was on my way home from school; I'd given some dog biscuits to the dogs on my way to school. All of them come to their fences and greeted me. I felt someone was watching me; the hairs on the back of my neck had stood on end. I stopped greeting the dogs and they sensed the change in me, when a stranger came up and put his arm around me casually, I took him in out of the corner of my eye. Seeing no weapon I reacted, elbow to the solar plexus and a chop to the throat. Then kicking him hard, I ran to the next house with big dogs and jumped the fence.

     Said to the dogs, "Keep 'em busy boys." Ran to the back and jumped the fence to the neighbor's house, climbed a big tree and hid in the branches. Called my foster father on my cell phone and told him someone tried to grab me. Said I had only seen one and he was a drunk, but I felt he was only a decoy in case I got away. So when a cab pulled over at the curb I dropped out of the tree and jumped inside. Abu held me and we rushed home to be sure his wife and their three year old daughter were safe.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack is in trouble now, her only hope is that the Helion Prime police believe her foster father.... or is it?

**Chronicles of Jack:**

**My Cousin Kyra**

**Chapter 3**

     As I had expected nothing came of the strange incident even though we reported it to the police. No evidence was found, they had picked a residential area that had surveillance coming and going but not on that section of the street. I had become hyper vigilant, walking with friends taking cabs to and from the zoo where I still volunteered. Made certain I was not alone anywhere, for more than a few moments.

     So you can imagine my surprise when I was called into the office and found that I was in need of some injection that all citizens of New Mecca should receive after living here for two years. I asked if my foster father knew about it and was told he did, had given his permission. The injection was given and I immediately felt dizzy. My mind was trying to understand, but my body was already reacting. I took a swipe at the nurse, but the blow was blocked by a man in uniform. I was already loosing energy and fell back on the cot. "Why?" was all I could ask. No one answered.

    I was taken to the port and though I should have been asleep, I was watching through slit eyes. The uniformed man turned me over to a Merc crew and warned that the girl was not to be abused in any way. It was the threat of harm that was to be used against Riddick, if they expected to live through this I was not to be harmed. Now I was scared. I tried to move my foot, it would not respond. Just then I heard a familiar voice, a neighbor was running toward us.

     The woman was yelling, "I know this girl. What is going on here? Where are you taking her. Struggling to sit up I surprised the Merc and the Military Officer. Looking at the woman I said in a slurred voice, "They are taking me to my brother, can you believe it. He's alive! Tell my foster father, thanks for everything and that I love him." Then I swooned and pretended to be out again. When the woman left the Merc looked at the officer and said "What the fuck was that?" The military man said to me, "Very cleaver, pretending to be out this whole time. Waking in time to save the old lady and give her a message for your foster father. It won't do any good!" Looking at the Merc he said, "Get her on board and chain her in her tube! Put her in cryo and keep her there, she will escape the first chance she gets! Don't under-estimate her, she was taught by Riddick!"

     This Merc did as he was told, he had apparently read Riddick's file. He told his crew to set a course off this rock. They would change course tomorrow without filing new plans so they would not be followed. These pods were different than the ones on the Hunter-Gratzner. The needle went into my arm and the pod checked my vitals and my narcotics levels, a low dose of drugs went into my arm. It was enough to put me under. They say most of your brain shuts down in Cryo-sleep; all but the primitive side, the animal side. Now I know why Riddick was always awake, he lived with his animal. I was not as awake as he would be, my muscles could not function in this state because I lived in the world of polite society, my animal was not as strong but I was already flexing and stretching muscles to strengthen them. I was already watching for the opportunity to get out of the cuffs and get away. My animal was in control now and it had a promise to keep.

     My first problem came when one of the crew suddenly got up, he was out of the tube and looking around cautiously. No one else stirred, I heard the movement and was not really surprised that he was heading towards me, keeping my eyes down and half closed I saw the bulge in his pants and knew what he was planning. Dislocating my thumb I pulled my wrist from the cuff and caught it before it hit the tube. Waiting for his next move I watched as he opened the cryo-tube door and leaned in to smell me. Letting the cuff go I scratched his face and brought my legs up to knee him, he screamed and then grunted. Alarms blared and the other pods opened the crew was awake, looking for the danger. They laughed at the spectacle of the Merc rolling on the floor holding his manhood.

     The main guy told the guy on the floor that this was his last chance, no more rapes or beatings if he didn't want to be arrested himself. He told him I'd let him off easy, I could have killed him. I could have taken his gun and used it on him, or used his knife. As a crew member grabbed my hand to put it back in the cuff, one was asking why he'd freed my hand when the one lifting my hand said, "Fuck! The ass-hole broke her thumb!" Heads whipped around and one of them came over and laughed, "It's not broken, and he didn't uncuff her. She dislocated her thumb to get out the cuff. The primitive part of her brain felt the danger and she reacted, it must hurt like hell though."

     "I told you all about Riddick’s tricks to escape, he taught her! Fucken put her back in the cuff and lock the damn door too!" The guy with medical knowledge had pulled my thumb and put it back in place, I took the pain in silence. He eyed me with respect; did as he was told and put the cuff on then closed and locked the door. Pushed some buttons and pain killers flooded my system. Watching them all from half closed lids I waited for the crew to go back into their cryo-tubes. Watched as the head Merc locked the guy who'd intended to rape me into his pod.

     When he too was in his pod I finely closed my eyes and went to sleep. My animal was still aware of everything around me, but my body relaxed, rested and healed. As I slept I dreamed: _**{Johns was telling us that Riddick would slit our throats and take the skiff. That he was nothing, but an animal.}**_

The dream shifted: _ **{Riddick was trying to show me how to use my speed and size to my advantage. He'd pinned me to the floor before I could get away. He said, "Now you're trapped, the Merc's partner will have you cuffed in no time. You have to react before they get you pinned." getting up he helped me to my feet and said, "Again."}**_

Again the dream shifted: _ **{Riddick was carrying me over his shoulder, my shorts were riding up and I was beat red from both anger and embarrassment. He pulled me forward into his arms and tossed me in a fountain. The cold water surrounded me and I spluttered, I stood up soaked and angry.... I jumped out of the fountain and he caught me... suddenly we were in my room. I was wearing a clingy nighty and Riddick was laying me on the bed. He stood and lifted his shirt over his head dropped it to the floor. I had seen him without a shirt many times, but the hunger in his eyes was new and it was HOT! I felt my animal answer his and he began to crawl up the bed. Feeling his breath on my neck and the sensation sent heat to my core. My breathing came fast with both anticipation and fear.}**_

The dream shifted once more: _**{I was eleven years old, four boys were standing around me, they were bigger and older than me. They had learned I was a girl and that I dressed and acted like a boy. They had got my friends and me out to the woods and then sent the other kids away. These boys tried to intimidate me, wanted me to answer questions. "Why do you wear boy’s clothes if you're a girl?" "What? Are you gay?" "Are you a carpet muncher?" I had no idea what they were talking about, I told them the same thing that I'd tell my class on planets that didn't care if girls learned self-defense. They did not believe me and suddenly I felt scared as the leader said to the other boys, "Maybe she needs to see how good it feels being with guys and then she'll act like a girl."**_

_**I flashed on a conversation I had heard my mom and a neighbor having about a murdered girl who had fought her rapist and been killed. The lady said to my mom, "You know she'd be alive if she just laid there. The guy would not have killed her, if she had not fought him." My mom had answered, "Maybe, but you know, sometimes laying back and taking it can make the man angry and he'd kill the girl for that. Maybe she should have fought when she still might have had help from people, or maybe if she waited for a distraction then fought him. The sad thing is we will never know what might have been, because she did something that got her killed."** _

_**Looking at the boys I realized that the boys were not going to back down even if I fought one of them. They were operating in, what I would later learn was, a pack mentality. Right now I was terrified, I told them, "Look, I'm a girl and I like hanging out with boys, they don't want to be around some giggly girl so I learned to run and play like the guys."** _

_**They leered at me. Then one grabbed my left arm and I kicked his right leg, another grabbed at me when the first let me go and fell. A third grabbed my neck in a chock hold, he didn't know how to use it so he was crushing my wind pipe. The leader moved up and punched me in the gut then grabbed my pants and yanked them down my legs.** _

_**"** _ _**Well," he sneered, "she wears girl’s panties, that's a start!" Then he pulled them down and I tried to kick him, but one of the boys grabbed my leg and another grabbed the other leg. He snapped at them all, "Lay her down and hold her!"** _

_**I tried to struggle, but I could not get away. I lay there and squeezed my eyes shut. Tears streamed down my cheeks to pool in my ears. Crying out, "No, please! Stop! Don't-" again and again as each boy took his turn. After it was over, the leader tossed me a small towel and said, "Clean yourself up. Oh, and remember, we know where you live. We know who your friends are. If you tell anyone, you'll regret it!"** _

_**Taking the towel I wiped my face then between my legs. Pulling on my clothes quickly so they would not decide to do it again, I got to my feet painfully. They walked me to the edge of the woods and the leader reminded me again, "Don't tell anyone or we will hurt your friends and your parents too." I was afraid for my friends and their families, I was afraid of what my parents would do to the boys if these boys went after them. My parents would defend themselves and me, but these were teenage boys like, 13-15 years old. My parents would be arrested. I nodded and they let me go.** _

_**No one was home so I ran to the shower and scrubbed my body repeatedly trying to get their scent off my skin. I brushed my teeth and mouth a few times as well. I called my friends to say I really wanted to spend the night, finally one of my best friend's mom agreed to let him invite me over. I called my dad at work hoping to catch him. He insisted I talk to mom about it, I told him she was out and I was going to the friend’s house to play, that he had called to see if we could make it an overnight thing. Dad insisted he was not going to decide, I had better speak to mom first.** _

_**I left her a note saying I'd been invited to spend the night at Greg's where I was going to play today. I wrote that I really wanted to spend the night, begged her to please allow it and that I would take the overnight bag, in case she agreed. Then I packed my pj's, a toothbrush, comb, and pillow along with a change of clothes for the next day. I went to play and told Greg's mom that my mom would be calling to let me know if I could spend the night. We played video games and ate snacks. Had dinner too before mom finally called she talked to Greg's mom for a while before I got on the phone, she told me she did not want me to ever leave her a note again. I was to speak to her in person, after apologizing and thanking her when she said she would let me stay this time we hung up with a soft I love you.** _

_**I was quiet and withdrawn at my friend's house, but no one noticed. The behavior continued for weeks and no one knew why, I was sent to a therapist. After a few sessions I finally told the lady that I was fed up with everyone asking me what was wrong and that I just wanted to be left alone. That I didn't understand why everyone was worried, my grades were good, I played sports like always, just because I decided I did not want to run around with people after school or get into trouble like I used to, what was wrong with that?** _

_**She told my parents that I was maturing and that my personality was asserting itself. She felt that dressing me as a boy was causing some confusion. They were very surprised when I refused to take my original name back and refused to dress like a girl. They did not know, because I would not tell them, that I did not want to be a girl because girls were weak and had to take whatever a boy decided to dish out. Where as a boy could do as he pleased, do anything to anyone at anytime; or so it seemed to me. I redoubled my efforts to learn all my father would teach me, asking how to fight against a group. I prepared myself to never have to allow someone to hurt me just to survive.}** _

     I heard the beep of a cryo-tube, my eyes opened and I stared at the pilot as he got his barring. Smiling at him as he looked my way, had to chuckle when he jumped in surprise. He gave me a dirty look and went to the pilot's chair. Turning my head a little, I listened to see where we were. Great, a space station I'd never heard of, wasn't even sure what system we were in. _ **{Fuck, this is not going to be easy!}**_ I thought to myself.

     Soon the Boss was awake and getting the others up. He unlocked the would be rapist and then woke him. He was sending them out to blow off steam. Before allowing them off the vessel he warned them, "Come when I call or I'll hire someone to take your place! I'm not fucken around!" I watched as five of them left, just the boss and the pilot left. Turning to the pilot, Boss told him, "Keep an eye on the girl, don't leave her alone with any of the guys, especially Gibson! Also, if she tries to escape, use non-lethal action only. Tell the others when they get back, too!" Then he too was gone.

     The pilot grumbled, "Yeah, 'cause I wouldn't want a drink or a lay! Come learn to pilot they said, have a career; Fuck Me! Now where am I? Babysittin' the bait for a killer who'd ghost me for just being in the room with her! Fucken Toombs!" Twenty-five minutes later two of the guys came back and were telling the pilot about the crazy things they had seen, then Boss came back and told the pilot to go have some fun, but to hurry as he could be replaced just as easily as the other crew. Toombs the boss, received a message and told the two remaining guys to stay and watch me, no one was to be left alone with me and no one was to touch me or they'd answer to him. Then he said, "Non-lethal action only, if she tries to escape!"

     After about ten minutes one of them called the other over to the door and said, "Hey, I think I know her. She's a slave run by a crew out of Loopas 5. Want to split the cost?" The other one agreed when he saw her. They waved her over and spoke to her, invited her to come in and propositioned her. She told them there would be a fee for voyeurism if I was going to watch. They told her I didn't count as I was just bait. She asked, "Oh yeah, for who?" One of them said, "A serial killer, he saved her from a planet full of monsters and took her to New Mecca, now we're gonna dangle her out a cruiser and snag us a murderer. He'll come quiet or we'll hurt her, someone'll hold a big gage on her and he won't try to escape, if there's a possibility she gets ghosted."

     "Oh, wow. Think it'll work?" she asked. The men nodded and she suddenly struck. I didn't see where the blade came from, just saw it arc out as she threw it into the Merc 's eye; the man who'd recognized her was dead before he hit the ground. She then kicked the other Merc as he charged her. Then pulled a shiv from her leather fingerless glove, she cut his throat and covered his mouth to muffle the scream. She walked up to me and smiling said, "Hey, cuz. Thought you could use a hand." Looking at her in disbelief I said, "Who the fuck are you?" She smiled, "Name's Kyra, and your mom and my dad were siblings. Took me years to find you, would still be looking if I had not smelled Furyan scent on the Merc you scratched."

     She looked at me and said, "Don't you know? We are half Furyan." When I still looked skeptical she continued as she finished picking the lock on the door and went to work on my cuffs. "Didn't your mom tell you anything?" Anger flared in me and she held up her hands in a placating gesture. "Sorry, just figured all us half-breads knew to stay low and off the wires to keep the Necros off our tails." Looking at her I said, "Mom never talked about her people to me, I knew she smelled different then other humans, dad told me that I was part of a hunted race and needed to stay safe. No one ever told me what race I was a part of or what peoples were after us."

     We left the Merc ship and went to another smaller craft, she said she'd take me home to New Mecca. We were off and she offered me cryo-sleep said she'd be awake for the entire trip anyway so she was not going to force me to sleep. She knew my mom's real name and when she married dad. Told me she had tracked them all over the 'verse looking to find some family. Said after her brother died she was getting aggressive and angry, said she needed another alpha to show her the old ways. Found out my parents had been gunned down, that I had disappeared. Heard rumors about a holy man and his friends, two brothers one years older than the other traveling towards New Mecca. Was on her way there when an alert went out about a kidnapped girl from New Mecca. A witness had seen a Merc with her and the girl told the witness they were taking her to her brother, but the foster family insisted she has no relatives. Her parents were killed and her uncle, the last living relative had died of alcohol poisoning. She was not sure if it was me, but the foster father was an Imam and his name matched the survivor of the Hunter-Gratzner.

     Then she remembered the ship she'd spotted that was stopped out in space, then it turned and headed in a new direction. She went back there and found a trail to follow. Saw the space sta. was ahead of them and went into hyper drive, coming out closer to the space station then the Merc ship could so she was there and waiting for them. She saw the Merc with the scratched face and smelled the Furyan scent on him, followed the man's scent back to the ship and watched as the leader left, she stood as if she was available and knew there were interested parties. Then came in to see the situation, smelled there were too many men and decided to act before the others came back.

     She told me she had been slaved out at the age of twelve said she learned to please the fat sweaty men to make 'em get off her quick and how to make the pleasure last longer for the younger good-looking ones so they'd want to come back. Then she said she got away and found a woman that taught her how to fight and how to kill. She became an assassin for hire, made great scratch and lived a sweet life. There was something missing though and she wanted to find me and be sure I was safe and living a good life. She asked a lot of questions about my relationship with Riddick, some I answered others I gave partial answers to, I was starting to think she wanted to lure him out by pretending to be me. He had been gone for three years and my scent might have changed with puberty, but the smell of my blood would be the same. She couldn't fake that, could she?


	4. Chronicles of Jack: My Cousin Kyra

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyra grew frustrated with Jack's assassination skills, she could not get the necessary force to ensure instant death.  
> She convinced Jack's foster parents that she would be safer at this private boarding school where Mercs wouldn't look.

**Chronicles of Jack:**

**My Cousin Kyra**

**Chapter 4**

     We arrived at the port on New Mecca a month later and went straight to my foster father's house. I was wearing a hooded robe and she was wearing cargo pants and a sleeveless shirt with holsters and seemingly peace-tied weapons. I was anxious to get back to my foster family and let them know I was safe. Especially so that the news of my abduction would not reach the one person it was meant to lure out of hiding. The Imam and his family were overjoyed at my safe return and were willing to allow my cousin to stay with us for an indefinite period of time.

     She did not stay long, but she met with some people and introduced them to my foster father. She and I continued our training sessions that we'd started during the trip back to New Mecca. She wanted me to learn assassination skills, to make the movements automatic. I wanted to please her, she was the Alpha female and I was born a follower. My body rebelled against me however, and I could not get the necessary force behind the strikes to ensure instant death. Kyra grew more and more frustrated with me, and then she announced that she needed to know I was safe from Mercs and well meaning school administrators. Apparently the military officer that had taken me from school had approached the school administrators and informed them that I was a run-away and had lied to my foster father. That my citizenship as a New Meccaen was in question and I was wanted for petty crimes on my home world. They agreed to administer the sedative that would allow for a non-violent arrest. They were quite sorry for the misunderstandings, or so the letter they sent to the Imam said.

     Kyra convinced my foster parents that I would be safer at this private boarding school and they would not have to worry about me being in danger. If the tuition was a problem she would be glad to help out with it. She put some money in a trust fund for my tuition and the Imam gave me control of my parents’ money that had been in trust for me until my sixteenth birthday. "I know it is early yet, but as I will not be with you to celebrate this milestone with you, daughter, I wanted to give you the present I had planned to give you on your sweet sixteenth birthday." Hugging him tight I thanked him for everything, whispered "I love you." and tried to be upbeat for my friends that had come to this quickly thrown together party.

     Later, Ziza came to my room and insisted on sleeping with me. I knew this would probably be the last time we shared this special time. She wanted her favorite story, so I began: "When I was twelve years old, I was on a ship going to a new world. My parents had died and I was alone. I don't know if everyone in cryo-sleep has dreams, but I did. I dreamed that I was not alone and when the ship crash-landed on a desert planet, I found a lady that was going to take care of me. People said they would get me to New Mecca safely. That is when your father spoke up and said he too was heading for New Mecca; I understood he was letting us know he would help me get there too. There was a man who told everyone he was transporting a prisoner, he never said he was a cop, but he was wearing a cop's uniform. No one knew I was different, and I don't just mean because I was a girl. I could smell things, emotions and scents that others could not. I could smell the drugs and the bravado that comes to Mercs from being cruel to defenseless people. My mom was always afraid some Merc would scan me and realize I was a half-breed, so I had learned not to trust or believe any Merc. I went to see the convict, the light was bright and the Merc had taken his goggles, he had a horse bit in his mouth and I decided right then that I didn't like the fake cop at all. I offered the convict a hit of O2 and made him promise not to hurt me. He agreed with a nod of his head. When I gave him a hit off the tank, he caught me with his legs, told me not to trust anyone. Then I heard the soft footfalls of heavy boots, the Merc had let me get caught so he would have an excuse to shoot or even kill the convict. Riddick made me tell him what lesson I had learned. I said that I should not trust anyone because they would use me to get what they wanted." Ziza gasped.

     "We found a female crew member still alive and she was taking our safety as her responsibility. I could smell guilt coming off of her in waves. One of the men, who had been digging the grave, had gone missing. Johns, the Merc, was yelling for Riddick and I knew he'd kill him. So I ran and told them that he could not have done it. I was with him for the last half an hour, just after leaving the grave site. I was standing between Riddick and Johns and he was holding the gun on me telling me to move unless I wanted to die for the convict. Then the woman, everyone was calling her captain, was standing between the gun and me. She made him put down the gun when your dad said that he had called Ali to prayers and seen Mr. Riddick was still chained as he'd been when the explorers had left, he had watched me come in from the grave detail and go to the restroom then come out, I walked to the back and he had heard two muffled voices, one an adult and one the boy." Ziza's eyes lit up.

     "It was decided that we would check the hole in the grave wall to see if the man's body was inside. Johns wanted me with him so he could be sure I did not let Riddick out. Riddick told me not to go in the hole, to not even suggest it. I was not sure if he was scared for me or if it was all the fear from the others who had just left the area. What we did not know was that we had to deal with monsters. Fry, the one everyone was calling captain, went into the hole. She tied a rope around herself as a lifeline. She found the hole led to a cave and found blood inside too, and then she found some human remains, I never found out what. She then saw movement around her when her light gave out. She moved to the sunlight coming in from a termite mound like structure and began to climb. Your father heard her call out, but did not hear anything else. I was anxious and jumpy because of the others' fear, so I thought of Riddick. He was always so calm and relaxed, I thought of his eyes, with the shine job to see in the dark. Thought about his scent, so like my moms and I was calm." She smiled as I smiled in remembrance.

     "Just then I heard her call out from one of the mounds and I moved over and I heard her whimper, she was terrified I could smell it coming from the entrance of the mound. I yelled for the others and Shazza came over with Johns, sure enough they heard her call out for help and Shazza tried to break the mound open with a pick-ax hammer. Johns took it from her and after two or three whacks he broke the mound in and then he and your father both reached in to pull her out. That life line was almost the death of her, however. She was yanked back to the mound by that rope. Your father and Johns saved her again by holding on to her and cutting the rope from her waist with Shazza's knife. Now we knew we had to deal with monsters, and as we decided to go for the settlement that her instruments had indicated was close, Fry had us all carry only what was necessary." Ziza said, "Wow."

     "I had one question, 'What about Riddick?' No one answered and some of the looks I was getting made me realize they were too afraid of him to let him go and would leave him chained to be eaten. I was angry and said, 'We can't just leave him here, chained up. He'll be defenseless, those things will eat him! You can't do that, Shazza tell them!' But she just shifted her weight from foot to foot. Then I looked at your dad, pleading with my eyes. He spoke up, said 'I cannot in good conscience be a party to leaving a man chained to await his death.' Put that way, it made everyone squirm and then Riddick reminded Johns he was worth more alive and was he going to come back and check if the monsters left him scraps for DNA to prove that he was dead.

     "Something told me he really did not need us to free him, he just saw no reason to leave before and so had not even tried to get free. We were preparing to leave when the Merc came over and had me go to the back and un-cuff Riddick, he kept us covered with the gun the whole time to be sure Riddick didn't try anything. Riddick told him to ghost him now that it was the smart thing to do. The Merc had told me to unshackle Riddick first and so I was down on the floor when he fired the gun near Riddick's head. I would have stood up, but the one leg I had freed was draped over me keeping me down. Johns was telling him to remember how that moment could have gone and that he had spared his life. I undid the other leg as he put that booted foot in my lap to keep me down because he had moved the other leg back to keep Johns from realizing he was protecting me. I took off his cuffs and moved away quickly at a look from Riddick. Sure enough I turned and saw him take Johns' gun and point it at him, he had moved so fast. He then told Johns to remember how this moment could have gone and didn't. He dropped the gun and went to pull a cell that we would be taking with us." Ziza's eyes were round and she was covering her mouth.

     "Johns spotted trees ahead, but when we reached the crest of the hill we saw that it was bones of huge creatures. Your dad said it was like the Earth legends of the elephant graveyards. Riddick had been ahead of us, but there was no sign of him now; Johns thought he'd run, but I could still smell his scent. He was not far, soon I was exploring with Shazza and Ali then I turned as anxiety and want from two people reached me, I spotted Johns and Fry talking near a skeleton and saw Riddick's eye shine in the dark area of the beast's pelvis. Riddick went up to the woman who was leaning on the skeleton with her back to the bones, and he did something that seemed very intimate to me. I was upset and was not sure why, turning my back on the scene, I then became frightened as your father called me over to go with the other boys. We were to go pee in the area he indicated and I could not go with them or they would realize I was not a boy. I felt eyes boring into my back and I kept telling your dad I was fine, I didn't have to go and shook my head 'no' so he would understand." Ziza gasped again.

     "You know your father, he was persistent. Then out of nowhere Riddick calls me to come on, from a completely different direction then where he had just been. My embarrassment was fading and I was so relieved. He knew I was a girl and needed privacy to keep the others from finding out, knew because he could smell my blood. He took me to an area where he had dug a hole for me to use the restroom in. He gave me my pack and told me to bury the pad. I did so and we ran to catch up to the group. He jogged at my pace, because the air was so hard for me to breath. When we reached the settlement we saw it was abandoned and had been for a long time. We went to explore and Riddick let me go with the boys. We found the Coring room and went to look around; found that things had been scattered and I felt as if I was being watched, so I was going to leave, the boys did not want to go and then I saw the model of the solar system. Saw the name of the planet was Hades and saw that the twin suns did not allow for darkness. I moved the wheel to the present year, when the cycle reached that month I saw that the planets and suns all aligned; causing the small planet to be blocked from the suns light." Ziza gasped.

     "Just after I left the Coring room, I saw that the canvass that covered a solar sensor had been caught by the wind and been pulled off. Gears began to grind and a paneled roof began to open. Shazza had hurt herself and waved me over to help her, I moved off toward her when a scream ripped the air. I turned to run back inside, but Riddick was in front of me, he said to stay outside and Shazza held me back. Fry said the creatures were smaller than the ones she had seen in the caves. We had lost Ali, but the other boys had hidden in a metal cabinet. I felt guilty and so did your dad. We all got together and talked about what we could do. The adults were talking about the settlers having gotten off the planet. Their clothes were hung on wash lines and buildings had been left as if they had to leave in a hurry, or so Shazza said, but Riddick thought the people had met the same fate as Ali and the man from the grave. He said that people would not have left their clothes on the lines and their photos on the shelves. That they had run to the coring room because it had the thickest doors and could be locked. "But they forgot to secure the basement." he said. Shazza said he did not know that for sure, maybe they had weight limits and he answered he knew that you didn't prep an emergency vessel unless there was an emergency.

     "We decided to get four cells from the other ship and get back as soon as possible, and then we would decide who was going and who was staying. I for one did not like that thought; those who stayed would be trying to survive for at least a month and maybe more if it took longer for the skiff to be picked up. We ran for the solar sand cat and Riddick tossed me onto the back, I went sliding and he jumped on in front of me, I slid into his side and we laughed. Then he helped me into the cat's interior and stood to get in himself, Johns was coming out of a building and Riddick grabbed his arm and helped him in. We were racing back to the crashed ship trying to get there and back before the planets blocked the suns. We made it there, but then the planets came up and blocked the suns before we were ready to go. Johns had brought one cell, Riddick had brought two and your dad brought the last one. I was wiping the sensor to try to get the last of the light, but it was no good." Ziza looked worried.

     "Then the smaller creatures where flying out of the mounds and we were racing for the cargo pod, that had a door we could close. I got to the pod and turned to see that Riddick and Shazza were still near the sand cat. We yelled for them to get down when we saw a swarm coming for them. Shazza tried to run for it, even though we were yelling for her to stay down. Riddick got up when it was clear and he came and pulled me up, took me to the back of the cargo pod and yelled at me for trying to save Shazza when she could not be saved. I became angry and said, 'She was my friend, she said she'd take me to New Mecca, to my uncle!' he asked me, 'If you wanted to be with family why did you run away?' I told him about my parents and he let me cry, told me to grieve for them, but not to throw my life away.

     "I cried myself to sleep and awoke in his arms, surrounded by his scent. I felt safe for the first time since I realized there were monsters here. I just knew he would keep me safe. He sent me to the restroom and I hurried, but when I came out he was not there. I was hurt and sad, but was getting angry when I heard a soft 'hmn' from a dark corner and turning I saw round eye shine in the dark as he moved forward. Immediately, I was flooded with relief and he chuckled. We went to the group and got some food and talked quietly, just the two of us. Until we heard the creatures tearing into the cargo pod and we had to find out if it was one or more. Riddick told me to stay in the middle of the group and stay safe. So when they split off I went with Fry and the men to help Riddick and I accidently hurt him by telling him to put on his goggles as he came around the corner looking back over his shoulder. He had not expected me to be there and looked forward, right into our lights. He fell and rolled to the side then the creature was in our light, too. It screeched and climbed the wall. I kept my light on it and then the others did as well. Johns shot it twice and it fell in front of us. Riddick stood and we saw that the light was burning the creature. We decided that since the monsters were getting in we had to get to the skiff and get off this planet; we were already a smaller group. We got all the light we could and went out, but the creatures had gathered in the canyon and we had to go through it. Riddick had to tell them about me being a girl because I was making us a big target. Johns decided to give himself a chance by getting Riddick to kill me so that they could drag my body behind them as bait." Ziza gasped and hid under the covers.

     I took a deep dramatic breath and said, "Riddick told Johns that we needed bigger bait. Johns asked who he had in mind, they began to fight and Johns hurt Riddick, but he just pulled his arm and set it back where it should be. Now Fry told us to run, she was going to take us back to the cargo pod which I did not want to do, but Riddick had said I was to be kept in the middle of the group so I had to go." Ziza looked out from under the covers. I continued, "Fry was afraid of Riddick, he ran ahead and stopped us from running back. He said we could make it if we went ahead. It was a two man skiff, but as two of us were adolescents we should be okay. We ran the canyon and Riddick was behind us at first but we had to stop to dig a path through a skeleton. We almost lost Suleiman, his leg was hurt bad and Fry and your dad were trying to stop the bleeding. Riddick started to move on; I saw him and called out to him. He stopped like he wanted to wait for me, but knew I would be safer with the group. Then a creature swooped out of the sky, I looked up and saw I was not under the skeleton here. So I side-stepped and the creature crashed into the skeleton's spine. It's speed and weight broke the ribs, catching me under the spine. I fell flat on my back with my hands pinned to my side. I yelled for Riddick and he moved to help then stopped. Fry grabbed the flashlight that I had dropped and used it and the lantern to try and get the creature off of me. I reached for a broken rib bone to try to stab the monster, but it was too fast. I saw Riddick take the rope from around his shoulder, I had started to fight for my life so he was going to help me. Or maybe it was because the monster had whipped around and slammed Fry with its tail. All I know, Riddick yelled and the monster jumped for him. Then after a few turns and slashes, Riddick was standing next to a dead monster and Fry had helped me to my feet. As we turned to continue forward it started to rain and we were left trying to keep the lanterns lit. Riddick laughed out loud and turned to your dad, he asked, 'Where is your god now, Holy Man?' Then as we paused again to try and keep our lanterns lit and the monsters away, we did lose Suleiman to a monster." Again Ziza gasped.

     “That was when Riddick found the cave. It was high, but not deep and only had one entrance. Riddick rolled the rock aside and we went in. When I turned around I saw he was putting a bone in place wedging it in so the monsters would not get us. I was scared he was leaving us, no one spoke when I said, 'He's not coming back, is he?' Just as our last lantern gave out and we were sitting in darkness, a blue glow started from high up the wall and we saw these slug-like creatures with bio-luminescence. We gathered them and put them into a bottle while Fry used Shazza's knife to scrape off the label. She had a light source. We moved the bone aside and once out she helped us move it back into place as we prepared to fill the second bottle, even though we realized we didn't have enough for much of a light source. Your dad had the knife and scraped the label off of our less filled bottle. Then we waited and prayed. Soon we were huddled close together and I was telling him about what happened to my parents and why. I told him I thought Riddick was of the same race as my mom, but that I did not know what race that might be. Then we heard the bone moving and your father put me behind him. He held the knife to defend us against any monster that tried to come in." Ziza said, "OOOh."

     "Fry was back and with her Riddick. I smiled at the sight of him and relief flooded our cave. I said, 'Never had a doubt!' to which Riddick smiled and then your dad said, 'There, Mr. Riddick is my god!' He asked if we were up for this and at our nods he reached in to help me out and Fry took my pack. Then we were running and with the rain falling down it seemed easier to breath in this air. We ran to the skiff before we realized that Riddick was not with us. Fry told us to get aboard, but then we heard Riddick yell in pain. Fear shot through me, but your dad grabbed me and Fry ran out with her bottle to get Riddick. When after a while he stumbled up bleeding from a leg wound and with Fry's blood on his shirt, your father asked for her and he just shook his head. We sat down and strapped in as he told us to, he started the engines and all the interior and exterior lights. Suddenly thinking better of it he turned everything off, making us dark. I asked what was wrong and he said, 'We can't leave...' a monster jumped onto the windshield, a bigger one jumped up knocking the other one off. I jumped in fear as the first one landed, but he continued, '...without saying Good Night!' and he turned the engines on full, frying any monsters behind us and plowing through the ones in front of us, as we took off." Ziza tried to stifle a yawn and I told her it was time to go to sleep. Holding her close she never had night mares when she was in my arms, for she knew I would slay her monsters as Riddick had slain mine. For as soon as her fear spiked I was telling her she was safe with me in our father's home on New Mecca. That night we both needed the warmth of each other’s arms as it was my last night on New Mecca for who knew how long.


	5. Chronicles of Jack: My Cousin Kyra

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kyra teaches Jack some new katas, she masters the movements but when they spar Kyra gets frustrated all over again when Jack is unable to strike with force. Someone who is good and does good things doesn't need to know all these ways of killing a person, if Riddick ever found out she was learning this stuff... she did not want to think about it! Besides that, she was going to a boarding school with all kinds of security, she wouldn't need it there either.

**Chronicles of Jack:**

**My Cousin Kyra**

**Chapter 5**

     I've come to the conclusion that Kyra can't stand cryo-sleep. She put my foster father and me out and just as I drifted off to a lovely dream/memory of my parents celebrating my birthday; Kyra took a step toward my tube and I was staring her in the eyes. Smiling she said, "Good, you're in touch with the beast within." Looking at her quizzically I asked, "Is that what you call it? It's my Animal and she's young, but she is eager to learn." She let me out of the pod and we ran through some katas as we journeyed to my new boarding school. She showed me new ones, but just like the last hopeless sessions; she became frustrated and stopped trying to teach me. I performed the katas fine, could master the movements even until we spared and then I couldn't get the leverage or didn't have the strength to pull off the moves.

     To be perfectly honest, the stuff she was showing me was exactly the stuff Riddick would be angry at me for learning. Someone who is good and does good things doesn't need to know all these ways of killing a person. My animal was okay with pack survival and my own survival at almost any cost, but it was not ready to be a killer just because Kyra said so! In my mind if not in life, Riddick was still pack leader for me and he'd left to keep me from becoming like him. I can still hear him saying, "That was a very uncivilized thing you just did, Jack." When all I had done was shoot the woman that was about to kill him. I didn't know the gun was set to fire like a cannon. Hell the gun belonged to the lady's number two guy. The way I saw it, the Bitch had tried to have us killed, they caught us because of me and then the Imam and I were balanced on balls with ropes around our necks while Riddick tried to kill two creatures that wanted to eat us. All to entertain her as she watched the art of the kill. She then sent a monster and Mercs after us when Riddick took us along on his escape. We got away and she was waiting in the one good ship we would try to escape on, she shot him once and he was on the floor. She was crazed and screaming about killing him and then us, so I picked up the gun and pulled the trigger. What was wrong with that?

     Kyra told me to go back into cryo sleep, she put me under and I was dreaming about my foster father and Riddick:

_**{The reason I was left on New Mecca was to keep me from becoming okay with killing, I was so fine with what I had done that I curled up with the gun and fell asleep in the bunk and the men were left to talk amongst themselves. It was shortly after, however that I began having nightmares like crazy. Whenever I closed my eyes in sleep. The first one that I know of, the Imam was the one that tried to wake me. Riddick awoke and thought I was screaming because he was touching me. But I had opened my eyes and hugging Abu to me I cried, "It was all my fault, I smelled the monsters and I left them in there! I'm so sorry." Once they both calmed me down and I went back to sleep I was screaming again shortly after, I woke up yelling for Shazza. After that Riddick picked me up and carried me to the pilot's chair. Sitting down with me in his lap we fell asleep and I was able to sleep for the rest of the night.}** _

     I awoke as I heard my foster father's voice. My lids were so heavy I could barely open them. Something was wrong and I didn't know what, time was defiantly off. We had been two weeks out from the planet the school was located on. My dream was not really long enough to have lasted that length of time. Yet I remembered no other dreams either before, after or mixed-in with the dream. When he opened my pod and helped me out he was surprised at my weakness and dizziness. As we went to the closest chair he called Kyra and said, "Jackie looks very pale, what is wrong?" She went over to the pod and punched some buttons, she said the pod was low on penicillin and so I must have developed a cold or the flue. So I was put into one of the other pods for a few moments and felt myself go back to sleep. When I opened my eyes again it was to my foster father's worried face. I smiled and he returned it saying softly, "Thank Allah."

     We went to the administration office and registered me, explaining that we were survivors of a crash-landing and the reported death of a very valuable convict was reported by the officer that had helped us to survive. We had left the convict for dead. Unfortunately for us, Mercs chose to believe we three survivors lied. There had been an attempt to kidnap me and a successful kidnapping that was resolved when my cousin rescued me. The administrators told my foster father that we need not worry for my safety any longer. The school would let no one near me except the people on a list we had to fill out. We placed my foster parents with their daughter and our friend Richard on it then my cousin Kyra went on as well, after we talked it over. I didn't know why, but I was beginning to have doubts about her. Suddenly I felt my right thigh had started to feel prickles as if it was just getting the blood to flow back through it. My foster father spoke to the administrator and we went to the hospital wing. After a total exam, she spoke to my foster father in her office as I was dressing. When I rejoined them he was subdued and would not answer my questions.

     We were given a virtual tour of the school and I was given my dorm room assignment. They come furnished, but we are allowed a few things from home. So my/Richards pillow and the only tee shirt he'd left me along with the laptop, tablet and cell phone that was now under a solar system calling plan were with me along with a peaceful painting of an icy world that Abu and Ziza had gifted me for a dorm warming present and my clothes and shoes, minus the old school uniforms were in my trunk. It was time for my foster father to leave and I hugged him and said, "I love you more than words can express, father. You have done so much for me, with no obligations to do so. Loved me as your own and provided me with so many things, especially your love and support. Thank you so much for all that you have done for me... I promise to be a good person, to learn and grow, to be the best person I can be and to remember our talks about what you want for my future. Give my love to Lejjun and Ziza, and our friend Richard, if you happen to hear from him, too." Clearing his throat, my foster father said, "My daughter, you are the daughter of my heart, I love you and am so proud of the young woman you have become. Richard would be too, if he could see you. I chose to raise you, so I gave myself the responsibility to raise a good person and with Lejjun's help, I believe we have succeeded. As for the promises, I know you will do all of that, for you already do so. The only promise I would not leave without, is your promise that you will stay safe. For I cannot watch over you daily and will not see you for a long while. For your family's peace of mind, promise me this." Wiping my tears on a handkerchief I nodded and whispered, "I promise to be safe, I won't look for trouble nor will I use my knowledge of self-defense as a weapon, I will keep up the self-defense to stay safe though."

    As he was turning to leave, I called out, "Father, if Kyra asks can you please tell her I said 'Good-bye' and 'Thanks for everything.' for me, Thank you." Nodding he blew me a kiss on his fingers and waved good-bye as he turned and left. The office helper that had been escorting us to my room and the cafeteria among other places, decided to show me a few other things that were not on the regular tours. We got to talking and soon were fast friends. Her name's Jarah and she's a spacer's daughter, after her mother remarried they lived with a rich man on a small planet she hadn't named, his daughter was a jealous girl of around the same age and did not want Jarah around her father that was why she had been sent here. She thought she had problems. I told her I had been taking self-defense classes for years and that was what saved me from being kidnapped once, that the people succeeded the second time, but my cousin had come and rescued me. Now, to keep me safe she convinced my family I would be safer here. "WOW!" was all she could say to that. My classes were fun and I enjoyed the work. I worked out for myself and later in gym class. I did not show all I could do, to keep a low profile.

     Like any school, this one had its mean girls and bullies. I tried to stay out of trouble, and avoided bringing their attention to me for the rest of the semester. Then as I was saying good-bye to friends that would be going home for break, I saw that a young girl that had hair like Ziza's although she did not have her skin tone, was being bullied by a girl much older than she. So I walked up and heard the bully say she was not allowed to take her money or sweets on the ship they were to board. I said, "Wait, so now you are confiscating her candy and her cash?" in a loud voice so the teacher that I had just scented behind me could hear. Not having seen the teacher the girl threatened me with pain if I didn't get lost. So yeah, I made an enemy and her punishment was staying here over break. Except for meals, it was fairly easy to avoid her and became a way to pass the time. One morning I was distracted by a scent in the air and didn't notice her leaving the dorms. She spotted me however, and followed at a distance that was enough to keep me unaware of her presence.

     It was not until I was jogging around a bend in the trail that I heard her scream from behind me. Turning around and running quickly, I found her at the bottom of a hill looking up at a dog-like creature. Running over to her I stopped and making eye contact I let it know I was the alpha around here. I let my animal have her head and she treated the beast as an underling. Nothing would have surprised me more than the hot guys that came over the hill wielding long sticks, poking at the beast. I moved between them and the beast, with my back to the beast and told them to stop harassing my friend. Both boys stood slack jawed as I growled low and deep in my chest. Then turning to the beast I pat him on his side and told him, "Go on and no hunting people." He rubbed against me and turned to leave. He was gone in four bounds, but I could still sense his eyes on me as I made the boys carry the girl to the hospital wing. On the way there I told them no one was going to believe that I got a predator to leave us alone. So we would say that she and I were walking and talking when it came up and trying to climb a tree she fell and hurt her ankle, so our screams brought the boys over and they chased it off. That was more believable. Later, they kept asking me what I had done to control the beast and what was I. I told them my friend had taught me to be an Alpha in any meeting with any animal. I then said I wasn't sure it would work with something so much bigger than me. I had some new friends, and other guys were noticing me more and more. I liked them and I enjoyed the few kisses we'd share, but I couldn't get Riddick out of my head and none of them could hold a candle to him. There was no denying that I was in love with Riddick, but I did not know how to get over him and move on.

     Soon I was back in the routine of school and spending free time with friends. Most of the guys I would go on dates with would soon become friends and only a few had become annoyed with my avoiding getting to the next step in a relationship. One even went so far as to try to force me and I fought him to the point I could have broken his arm. Another friend had heard the boy threaten and so he saw everything. We took the boy to the principal and turned him over to her. At the end of the year I waited to hear if I was going to be allowed to come home. My foster father said sadly, "It is not safe for you to come home now there is unrest in the streets, rumors of an army heading toward our planet." "Father, if an army is heading toward Hellion Prime, shouldn't you get the family to safety?" I inquired. Smiling he said to me, "I have confidence in our army and we have a shelter we can go to if an invasion does occur. We will be safe; I only hope you will be as safe at that school for I have heard the army targets one planet at a time until all the planets in the system have been defeated." "Then why don't the armies of each planet get together to defend their system from the army?" I asked him and he shook his head, "I do not know why they have not done so. Perhaps no one has thought of this."

     Time passed and I spent most of the summer "on the trails" as far as the adults that were still with us few year-rounders knew. Really I was with Goliath, the beast I'd come to call a friend. Being with him helped to center me as being with the zoo wolves had back on New Mecca. We explored his territory and I enjoyed swimming and hunting with him. Even when he brought down the creature, he always gave me first go and I always took a small amount of meat to cook a ways off so as not to spoil our meals with smells. After the meal we would sometimes nap together or sometimes if it was nearly sunset I would go back to the school for dinner. My time with Goliath was always special. I don't know how much of my speech he understood, but I told him school was to start again and I would not be here on the trails as much. I came less and less to gradually get him used to me not being around. When I did come I stayed for less and less time until I was back down to an hour.

     School started again, I saw my friends and went to my classes. New people of all ages arrived and I set eyes on the second most handsome guy I had ever seen. His name is Lucas and he's confident, strong, calm and intelligent; he seemed to have it all. Soon he had made friends with so many of my friends that we had to meet. As we talked he realized I was being evasive about my past. He began running really early to try to run with me and that's how he found me and Goliath hunting for pray. Lucas was surprised to see we were working together and I was hunting with nothing but a knife. As Goliath relinquished the animal, I moved forward and stabbed it in the heart. Then I took my usual cut of meat and moved off to build my fire, just as I passed Goliath we heard rocks skittering down the hill. Looking up I could just make out a human above us. Goliath sprang and I raced up moving between them in case the person had a gun.

     To my surprise I was looking at Lucas and he was afraid, Goliath stopped when I put up my hand. Looking at the boy, I tossed my hunk of meat to Goliath chuffing at him so he'd go back to his kill and said to the boy, "Come with me." I walked with Lucas and explained how I met Goliath, telling him how spending time with the animal helped to center me. Doubt if he believed me, but we walked back to the school and went into breakfast after I washed the dirt I'd rubbed my hands with to mask the look and smell of the blood from my hands. We sat together to continue our conversation, but were soon joined by our friends so I had not gotten an answer to my plea for a promise not to tell anyone about what he'd seen. Leaning toward me he whispered in my ear, "I'll promise not to tell anyone if you go out with me this Saturday." I nodded yes, but felt resentful. The rest of the week flew by and then it was time for me to go on my date.

     To my surprise I really enjoyed myself as the date went on. It wasn't until I was laying in bed that it occurred to me, I had not once thought about Riddick or compared Lucas to him throughout the date. Now alone in bed I did just that, Lucas was intelligent and fun -- Riddick was smart, clever and funny. Lucas made me feel deceitful and off-balance -- Riddick always made me feel that I could tell him anything and he centered me. Lucas looked good, he was handsome and my age -- Riddick was H. O. T. and gorgeous, older plus he was what Kyra said we were - Furyan. Closing my eyes, I waited for sleep to come and realized that I really missed Riddick.

     Every morning I would run the trails and every other morning Lucas would join me. Goliath and I had even less time together. Soon, my anger was on a short fuse and I was fighting the urge to throw things or hit people. So it was no surprise to me when my anger exploded in gym class. The teacher was ignoring the mean girls' intimidation of younger or less popular girls, as always. Though the group I was teaching to climb the rope tried to stop me, I confronted the lead mean girl. "Do you have such low self-esteem that you have to put others down to feel good about yourself?" Everyone within ear shot became quiet and stood staring at us. Turning red with both anger and embarrassment raging in her, "Someone better mind their own business before she finds herself in deep trouble!" She retorted. "Oh yeah, I'm so scared. You are just sooo intimidating, please spare me! Don't hurt me!" I mocked. Getting angrier she took it out on a freshman, pushing her hard. I caught the girl before she could hit her head on the equipment or the ground. I asked if she was alright and when she said yes, I took a few moments to try and control the anger that was right below the surface. When she saw I was calming myself she said, "Oh, I forgot you're one of those crazy Chrislamic nuts! Praying to Allah and turning the other cheek." My anger snapped, not that she noticed since I was chuckling. "You are so wrong, my foster family are the non-violent, peace enthusiasts; I on the other hand think it's perfectly normal to use any force necessary to accomplish my goals. My goal right now... that's to drop you on your ass."

     Taking a step forward she slapped me, she didn't realize I'd let her until I turned to her with a smile on my face. With a quick kick at her legs and a flat palm to her chin she hit the floor and I said, "That was a disappointment, you are already on your ass," shaking my head I chuckled and said, "New goal... have some fun!" I smiled a predatory smile and she paled, but stood and ordered her friends to get me. I noticed the teacher had looked our way and quickly looked away as I was surrounded by mean girls and a few of their boyfriends, all people who hardly knew me. My friends tried to come into it and I said, "No one else gets involved, this is between me and all of them; don't worry guys it won't take long." Stretching and cracking my body I then took a ready stance and waved the person in front of me forward. Side stepping to the left I brought my elbow in hard on the guy that tried to hit me from behind. Blocking with my right arm I kicked the girl coming at me in the side and drove her into the girl next to her knocking them both down. Then kicking another guy in the chest I sent him back into the main mean girl and they went sprawling. Sweeping another girl's legs and rising to catch a girl's wrist as she punched at me, I used her arm to block the last girl's swing and hit her with an open palm in the chest to send her back into the padded wall. Spinning with the girl who's wrist I still held I put her into the path of a guy trying to attack me, his knee connected with her hip and sent her to the floor. I brought up my hand in a chop to his throat and swept his legs out from under him. Turning in a slight bow I stopped at the main girl still on the floor and said, "Thank you for the light workout, I feel much better now. Next time we do this; make sure your team isn't holding back." Then I walked into the locker room as the bell rang and showered quickly before I was called to the office.

     When the next class started and I still had not been called to the office I thought it might have been ignored. Guess I'm just not that lucky, because when I went to drop my books off in my room before hitting the trails to find Goliath, I found I had a message from my foster father. Listening to it I found the office had called him and expressed dismay that I had stooped to fighting and they had made it sound like I had fought with five or six people separately. My roommate walked in and said that she had the fight on video and uploaded it to my computer so I could send to my foster father. With a short note saying I apologize to him for the fight, but that I had been struck first and I had simply told the girl to leave my new friends alone. Then she had her friends surround me and the teacher did nothing where they were concerned. Proof was in the video I was including. I promised my foster father that I would pray for my soul and try harder to turn the other cheek, but I refused to apologize to the group of kids that had attacked me, just because I'd had years of self-defense and was able to preserver.

     I ran out to the trails and did not come back until Goliath's presence had calmed and centered me once more. Then I went to the main doors to find them locked and so I climbed up the dorm building to an open window and slipped in silently. Moving into the hall and down to my room I went in and found my roommate sitting on her bed reading an old book called Twilight. "Hey." she said. "Hey, yourself." I answered. Smiling she said, "You've got a message from your family, uh... and one from the administration." I went to my computer and opened the message from my family first. Abu al-Walid stood in front of a monitor in which I could see the video of the fight was playing. He was explaining to the administrators that a group of young men and women attacking his daughter while a teacher turned away from the sight and not trying to interfere in any way was not his idea of a safe place to have me attend school. That they were aware of my plight and the reason I was able to take the group down with little effort and no permanent injury was no accident. He knew I had held back as was evident from another video he put on the monitor of me taking down a convict in a zoo enclosure with wolves all around. I moved much faster and had not hesitated to break his arm. He continued by saying if they insisted on expelling me or even suspending me from classes he would take it up with the board of trustees for the school and if the parents of any of the attacking group wished to insist on some action, he would be forced to expose the privilege that those rich enough enjoyed at the school regardless of right and wrong.


	6. Chronicles of Jack: My Cousin Kyra

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack felt confused, her boyfriend was so possessive and she felt that she would not normally be the girlfriend of a guy like him. That summer she still could not go to New Mecca so she spent part of the summer at a sleep away camp, the plan was to learn wilderness survival skills. Two and a half months was not a long time, but she made some good friends.

**Chronicles of Jack:**

**My Cousin Kyra**

**Chapter 6**

     The time passed and I was back to running every morning with Goliath, my classes were great, grades were really good and I was calmer and not so quick to anger. The mean girls and bullies had to watch their steps now as their parents’ money didn't guarantee them safety from expulsion anymore. Many people said "Hi." to me in the halls and I only knew them by sight, not by name (I felt bad about that). My only problem was with Lucas, because of homework I was unable to spend the time he wanted me to spend with him and the more time apart the less I wanted to be with him. I was getting more and more confused; Lucas was kind, generous and intelligent. Not to mention good looking and fun to be with. I was wondering why he always seemed to show me how kind and generous he was when I was beginning to doubt that he was either.

     The more I thought about it the more I was sure I would not normally be the girlfriend of a guy like him. Some things he said were raciest and he acted as if he were better than others. Yet when I was with him everything he said and did was great. No one had better speak ill of him or treat him like crap either, because while in his presence I was more besotted then I should be and no one else could intrude. The one thing he wanted that I had not given into was having sex. Whenever I felt he was pressuring me into it, I would end the date. He always smelled of frustrated anger and determination. I always blew it off to teenage hormones and forgave him. Until the day that I had to put mentholated rub under my nose for biology class and after class he came around. The pheromones he was exuding in my presence were not effecting me like they normally would have and so I saw him for the ass he really was and the near rape for what it truly was as well! I fought him, got him off me and then kicked him in the nuts hard enough to send him to the hospital wing. Yelling after him, as his roommate and neighbor carried him off, "We're through, you bastard! Your fucking pheromones won't work on me anymore!" Before they reached the corner I yelled out, "I'm telling everyone! No girl is going to be effected by your pheromones! No teacher either, you jerk!"

     As always is the case, the rumors spread and I had to tell people he uses pheromones and gets girls to do whatever he wants; like homework, dates, and he was using it on teachers for good grades. Suddenly he was wearing this inhibiter to keep him from doing those things. It kept his pheromones on an even level with the rest of us and made him have to work hard, (like the rest of us) to get the same grades. Most girls would not give him the time of day, especially if they'd been manipulated by him. There were still the few who either didn't believe or had not been used that still wanted to do for him in hopes he'd date them. Like I'd said before, he looked good. He was still a jerk and so before the month was out his groupies had been whittled down to a small handful. The months flew by and I was spending my free time 'on the trails' to center myself for the stress of testing.

     Soon the year was over and I was going to spend part of the summer at a sleep away camp. The camp advertised teaching your teens how to survive in the wilderness. I spent the next two weeks reading everything in the library about survival in different environments, making weapons and tools from things in the environment and types of animals that might be around the camp to prepare myself. Soon I had my bag packed and said see ya later to Goliath. The ship that picked me up was old and I was thinking it had better get us all to the camp. There were a few other teens on the ship and we went to another planet to pick up a bigger group before we went to the camp planet. The pilot was telling us that there were no other people on the planet; we had to listen to the camp leader and the counselors. Then he said that soon we would be dropped off in different parts of the planet with little more than the clothes on our backs and we had to survive for the next month on our own. Some of the kids suddenly became afraid and they asked if there were animals out there, smiling he said there were, what did we think we would be eating? Some of the guys were saying that if it was boys against girls that they would win hands down. The driver heard and laughed heartily saying, "Nope it's every man for hisself! Good luck one and all." Then as we walked out of the ship the camp leader was there with six councilors and said, "Welcome to Camp 1507-W, where you'll learn to create tools and how to hunt. We'll teach you all you need to know to survive this or any planet! Once we've taught you these things, you'll be left in certain sections on the planet and be expected to survive for a month on your own, you will have a flare to use to signal if you become injured and can't continue. Most of the teens that go through this training end up giving up and calling for rescue. All we ask is you do your best to survive for as long as possible on your own. What we want you to take from this experience is the courage and independence you all should develop in the process."

     I'd been fighting a smile the whole time and he finally came up to me and asked, "Find something funny? Please share it with the group I'm sure we could all use a good laugh." He had been speaking at top volume to be heard by the entire group and had not lowered his volume when he came up to me. So I complied saying, "Sir, I was wondering if the camp's name was a joke?" I heard some gasps and his eyes narrowed. I wrote on the ground 1507-W and said on your side it says M-lost... I'm lost. Was it meant as a joke?" To everyone's surprise he started to laugh. He looked me in the eye and said, "In the five years we've been here, you are the first to ask that question; Yes it is a joke a friend of mine thought it'd be funny to change the numbers and have it spell out M-Lost upside down. The register of planetary commerce just thought it was random numbers or maybe someone's lucky numbers, they approved of it without any fuss. What's your name?" "Jackie al-Walid," I answered. He raised a brow and with a nod continued. With our orientation out of the way and our lunch finished we were back in formation for cabin assignments and once we had that we were dismissed to our cabins for settling in for the week. Soon it was time for dinner and we sat at tables with corresponding numbers to the cabins; all of us wearing a gray t-shirt with the camp's name and logo. When we went to the evening campfire for s'mores and songs there were a lot of guys trying to get with girls. I wasn't here for that so I told the guys I had a boyfriend and he would know if I hooked-up so it was not happening. After the fourth guy swaggered up and I told him no, I announced to the group, "I have a boyfriend and don't want to hook-up." Someone said, "So it's not like he's here. What he doesn't know won't hurt him." Which made the group laugh, and I shook my head. "I'd know and I wouldn't do that to him. I can't lie to him, he can always tell when I lie to people."

     One of the girls came over and asked, "Why can you lie to others and not to him?" smiling I said, "He sees the little signs, a swallow or eyes moving up and to the left as I access my creativity, my pulse increasing. I can even plan my lie and try to prevent the automatic giveaways and he still knows." She took in a breath and said, "Wow, that's tough. So you really care about this guy? I mean..." Chuckling I patted her arm and said, "Don't sweat it, I understand. Yeah, I love him. Richard is the best thing that ever happened to me." She looked down and sighed, cheeks red and a shy smile gracing her lips she said softly, "Sorry. I was just curious. I don't think I could ever love anyone so much that I would feel bad if I had to lie to them." Shrugging I said, "I would have said the same thing before I met Richard. Now, well I can't imagine a life without him. I feel like he's with me now, reminding me to eat, hydrate, watch out for some guy or girl that might want to do me harm. My dad was the kind of guy that trusted everyone until they proved to be untrustworthy. I take after him, even though my foster father and our friend tried to instill some caution in to me. Richard has tried to teach me to be less trusting of people and have them earn my trust, but 11 years of my Dad's influence is too strong. Even with my Mom having never given trust easily I still learned my dad's easy going ways. By the way, my name is Jackie, what's yours?"

     Smiling she said, "Oh, Sorry! I'm Martha, Martha Garcia. To be honest I probably will need all the help I can get. My Dad has gotten on this "end of the worlds as we know them" kick and he wants us all to learn survival stuff. I mean come on, my teachers say that there is no way that the entire universe will change that much, even with this army of crazies that wants to end this life and make everyone like them." I looked at her and said softly, "I know why they say that, but my whole life changed in the blink of an eye. One second I was walking with my parents and then they told me to run to the transport ship and somebody started shooting up the market place, I looked back to see bullets tearing through them and they were just gone. Then because of a little known alignment of planets in this one solar system that transport crashed on a desert planet that had no night until every 22 years when two large planets eclipsed the smaller one and for about a month or two the planet was pitch black. There were 40 souls on the ship, about 14 survived the crash, but only 3 made it off that planet. An Imam, a convict and me! The Imam became my foster father and our friend left to keep the Mercs from using us to find him. The Merc that was transporting him on that ship had promised to let him go and say that he died on that planet if he helped keep us alive and get us off the planet. When the Merc wanted to kill me to save himself from the creatures that were hunting us, the convict fought him and won. That convict didn't kill the Merc; he just let the man go into the dark while he was bleeding so the creatures he wanted to bait with my body fed on him instead of me. That made me trust the convict completely, even though the pilot didn't trust him. She still went after him when we got separated as we reached the skiff. He told me she'd told him she would die for the Imam and me, that when she went back for him and found him hurt she told him, "I said I'd die for them, not for you. Now get up!" Then she died, a creature pulled her right out of his arms. The only time I ever knew him to have a nightmare; he woke up yelling "Not for me!" When he left us, I told him I would die before telling any Merc a thing about him. He got mad and told me I was not to die for him, I was to get away from the Mercs, but never was I to give my life for him. He said, "I didn't save you from those bad boys to have you die for me!"

     “Wow, that’s just... Wow!” Martha said in surprise. She took a deep breath and then told me all about her father seeing an Elemental on one of his business trips. “She told him if the man that was to kill the Necromonger leader was not found and set on the right path, the entire Universe would be destroyed as they tried to take it to the Underverse, whatever that means.” I felt the hair on the back of my neck rise as she spoke and the start of a dreaded thought formed in the back of my mind. _**{Could this prophesy be about Riddick?}**_


	7. Chronicles of Jack:  My Cousin Kyra

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For Jackie survival camp is not what she expected. Still she and her cabin mates soon have a goal to prove they can do better than the boys. Learning survival skills is easy, now to put them into practice. Jackie is walking by the lake when she realizes she is being followed... Who could it be? What will happen next?

**Chronicles of Jack:**

**My Cousin Kyra**

**Chapter 7**

     I chose to push these thoughts from my mind and go up to the cabin. That first night, every person’s movement woke me. I was finally able to get to sleep around three a.m. Then at five forty-five someone with a trumpet began to play and the counselor came in to rouse us calling out, “Let’s go! Get up! Everybody up!” We all were confused and stumbling out of bed. I had forgotten I was in a top bunk and dropped, twisting in mid-air to land on my feet in a crouch.

     There where thumps of girls getting down fine and crashes of girls falling to the floor, it seemed I was not the only one that had forgotten where I was. As we moved into line, the counselor went around checking on the girls that had fallen hard. She then told us to dress and go to breakfast, so we quickly brushed our teeth and took care of other morning hygiene issues before going to break our fast. This first breakfast at camp was large, not that we realized it at the time. We had pancakes, beacon, eggs, toast with jam and tea or milk (coffee was strictly for the adults).

     Soon we were in class, learning to make dead-fall traps and snares for small animals, they showed us how to make pit traps but said those were for larger game and we wouldn't need to make those out in the field. They taught us to make a shelter or find one we could improve. We sat through lectures where we were told of predators we might find ourselves defending against. They showed us how to put our food into a sac and use rope to tie it up high in a tree and tie foul smelling weeds to it to discourage the small flying carnivores from the bag. We were taught how to find worms or bugs for bait and how to catch fish; then clean them and cook them or jerk them, many of the girls rebelled. After that we were taught how to clean and cook squirrel and other small game. Then we were taught what other things were edible. They taught us what berries were safe to eat and how to find wild onions, roots, and plants as well as nuts and insects. They also taught us how to purify water and how to signal for rescue (if we had no beacon) they also stressed the importance of not exerting a lot of energy as we might not get our body’s required nutrients from our meager efforts at getting food and water.

     As the first week came to a close we were asked to pack a bag with only the essentials for a long hike in the woods. We were called by cabin to the nurse’s station, where he inoculated us against local ailments. They were surprised when my records showed I had been inoculated for those ailments and more. I explained my father’s friend was military trained and on our trip to New Mecca he had insisted that we get inoculated and when we had reached the Hellion system he had requested that we keep them up to date. My father felt it was a great idea and so my family was always inoculated for any known ailments just in case we came into contact with an infected person or we traveled at the last minute.

     We were assigned an outpost and some groups hiked from base camp while others were flown in a skiff to a location from which they would hike to their destination. Here we were given hands on training; lighting fires, safely and we put into practice the lessons we were given. Now with adult supervision, we were evaluated to find out if we were indeed capable of surviving on our own. I found that I was helping correct the girls more than the counselor was and soon the girls were working hard to learn from each other. Many of the girls had camped with their parents and had learned to do some of the things we were being asked to do for ourselves.

     I too had camped with my parents, but had never had to identify edible food, much less had to kill, clean and cook it. My parents had brought most of our food on those trips. We had hunted and even gathered food from the forest if the opportunity presented itself. Even with the survivors on Hades, we had a meal or two but it was all pre-packaged MRE’s (meal ready to eat). When we got off planet, we rationed our food and water and both men went without so I’d have my best chance. We spent a night in a forested area on a planet once, but that had been for two nights and a day, just 36 hours. Our friend had killed cleaned and cooked meat for the two of us and the Imam had gathered nuts, berries and edible plants for his meal and to add to ours of course. So I took all the information and demonstrations seriously (as did Martha and a few of the other girls). On the third day the counselor was explaining that the boys held a trophy for most individuals to “survive” from one cabin; suddenly the girls all took notice and put in an effort to learn.

     We wanted to win the trophy and prove we could do anything the boys could do. We all became proficient at creating tools to make our survival easier. In no time we rotated through each of the outposts and learned other safety tips and rules of survival. As the month came to a close we all reunited, we were each given a beacon for emergencies and a sheet of paper with instructions on what we had to do to receive a camp certificate. It read:

_Things your campsite must have include the following:_

_Water source_

_Food storage_

_Shelter_

_Fire (properly contained)_

_Three (3) types of food (i.e., nuts, berries, fish, game, or roots)_

_It is imperative that you contact us every few days at your appointed time. If two (2) consecutive contact times are skipped, we will search for you._

_Do not waste our time. If you become injured, please use the beacon provided to contact us. As always, your safety is essential; do not risk your life!_

_Thank you for choosing our Summer Survival Camp._

     We were then given a new pack with the only equipment we would be able to use, aside from anything on our person as of this moment. Many of the campers were confused; they had thought the equipment their parents had sent with them would be used during this survival test. I slipped the note into my pack and watched as others crumpled it and tossed it into the nearest trashcan. I realized that paper could be used to carry berries or nuts, I could use it to pass the time making origami, or I could start a fire with it. Most of the guys didn’t even have their knives on them right now. The girls in my cabin however, wore theirs everywhere they went. Eventually, everyone settled down and we were told we would be lining up by the door when our name was called.

     Names were randomly called out and soon the first group was taken to the skiff. Another group was called and they too left on another skiff. Soon there were only ten of us left and we were dropped off in separate locations assigned and tagged on our packs. As soon as I was dropped, I took out the map and studied the terrain I had been assigned, and then I began to figure out where I was and where the marked water sources were as well as the maps ideal location for a camp. My plan was to find a temporary camp site, cover the terrain and find the best place to set up my camp. The big plan was to find a shelter to enhance or if that was not possible to build one. I would hunt, fish, trap, and gather food. I planned to know my entire area and use it by the end of the month. You see I did not just want to survive, I wanted to LIVE!

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     Days passed by quickly; there was always something to do. I’d found a good site to create my camp. Then I found a large can and scrubbed out all the rust with sand. This I used for boiling water and cooking soup. Everything else was speared on a stick or cooked on a flat rock. I created a drying rack for jerking meat and built a scare-crow to discourage the animals from stealing my food. I wove a few baskets with lids to hold the food I had gathered and was able to eat two good meals a day. I used the pack I’d been given to store cooked meat wrapped in big leaves.

     I gathered wood, berries, nuts and wild vegetables. Then checked snares and dead-falls or fished. I had a rescue signal in a clearing, for daylight hours there was a bon fire with green wood that I would change every other day. Using what was drying out as fuel for my smaller camp fire. I was careful with the fire, banking it in the day when not in use and keeping it going at night. I also planned to use some clothing to burn on the bonfire at night if it became necessary to signal for rescue at night as the cotton cloth would start the fire quickly.

     Even with all I had to do I found myself idle at times. When the weather was extreme, I would play solitaire with the deck of cards the counselors provided. My thoughts would drift to the time I spent with Abu and Riddick.

_**{On the skiff, and the ships after we left Hades, Riddick taught me how to play poker and the Imam taught me a game of solitaire. Then I taught them one where you hold the deck and lay down the cards as you match them. I had never learned the name of this game (Riddick’s game was called Deuces Wild and the Imam’s was called Free Cell) my dad had taught it to me a few months before he died…}** _

I was getting irritated with myself. Anything went wrong and I was wasting energy throwing things or breaking them in my frustration, I had to begin meditation. Again thinking on Riddick soon had me centered and calm enough to function. Even though the days sometimes seemed to slip away from me, the month seemed to go on forever. I was doing quite well for myself when the counselors and the director arrived. They had me come into the skiff and wait while they evaluated my campsite. Soon they had me come out and questioned me on everything I had done. Satisfied with my answers to each question, the director nodded. Then the counselor that usually had the best survivalist asked where all my tools where, I showed him. Most were made from wood or rock and then he asked where I’d gotten an ax to chop the wood. I pulled my blade and told him I had to take my time slicing through the wood with my blade and then I’d sharpen it after each tool handle was made. He was not happy with me, but the others laughed as I had won some trophy for my cabin. Then as we all got together for certificates and awards, the director announced that two firsts had occurred. First, I had won the trophy for most successful survivalist, and second, my cabin had won the trophy for most members to have survived until pickup. That really made the councilor angry; he felt I had somehow cheated, that we had worked together somehow to survive. This was laughable as we had been scattered and I would have no way of knowing where the others were, nor could we have set up group works and divvied them up. I would have spent too much time going back and forth and would have no time to set up my camp as I had.

     The girls in my cabin simply realized that they wanted to prove we girls could do anything the guys could do and when we put our minds to it we could do it better (more efficiently). We paid attention when the counselor showed us what to do and found ways to do it faster or more reliably. The last night before we were to go home we had a farewell party. Guys started talking to the girls, before long they were couples and soon they were necking in the woods just beyond the firelight. I felt awkward to be the only girl not trying to find a guy or girl to hook up with. There were a few girls that called themselves bi-sexual and so hooked up with either. None of the guys wanted to appear gay however and so there were a few guys that were trying to talk with girls and the clueless girls had already gone into seduction mode. I soon walked down to the lake and found myself in a tree, fighting tears as I thought of being with Riddick…

**_{If he were here right now with all these teenagers fumbling in the dark, would he be willing to show me — whatever it was I wanted him to… or would he be disgusted that all the hormonal teens were getting to me like this? Was I old enough, in his eyes, to be …. What? What did I want to be? Did I want to be his plaything? Did I want to be a one-time thing? No!! No I just wanted to be His! Forever! That and I wanted him to be faithful like the old stories of one-true-love and fairy tale ever after sh... }_ **

I pushed myself off the trunk and dangled above the ground for a moment before I dropped to the grass below. Angry at my own stupidity, I began to walk around the lake, blinking rapidly to prevent the tears prickling my eyes from falling. The largest moon was not quite full, but its light was enough to follow the shoreline. When I was about half way around I realized I was being followed. I heard someone’s heavy boots in the grass, and I was right out in the open like an idiot. My first thought was to confront the prick and maybe kick his ass. For some reason, I decided against this action and instead rushed into the water and swam, about halfway across I turned and saw a man’s silhouette. He turned and walked off in a seemingly calm fashion. The wind told me a different story; it carried his scent to me and spoke of arousal and of frustration at the loss of his prize. I had taken my time to swim clumsily out, so as I watched him pick up his pace to try to beat me to the other side, I took a deep breath and went under the surface of the water, now I was free to push myself and swim all out, I surfaced and walked out of the water. Soon I stood in the shadow of the tree I had climbed earlier and waited for the man to come into view, as he walked up I recognized his stride and realized the same counselor that had been angry I had won the challenge was now trying to catch me alone. Something told me that was the last thing I wanted… part of me thought it was Riddick’s voice warning me to **_“keep away from that one”_** ; part of me thought I could hear my mother saying, _“ **That man is thinking bad thoughts he wants to hurt you and he wants to humiliate you.”**_ Then there was a part of me that sounded like my dad saying, _**“Baby girl, there are bad men in the world that only find happiness in hurting young girls. Those are the guys you have to watch out for and steer clear of.”** _ He looked out at the water waiting for me to swim into view, instead I walked away quietly through the woods and out on the trail to the cabin. Soon I heard raised voices as the counselors and the director got the campers assembled to take a head count as some of the counselors continued to search for me. I walked out of the shower stalls and calmly asked, “Hey, what’s going on?”

     Everyone turned to look my way and found I had my hair wrapped in a towel fresh from a shower and all ready for bed. Soon the counselor that had stalked me was holding on tightly to my arms and it had taken everything I had to not react to his approach, I was not scared nor would I fain it. His grip became rougher and he shook me as he yelled that I had caused a lot of trouble. The director soon took him away from me and had some other male counselor and the nurse take him to the director’s office. Then he sent us off to bed and I regretted sneaking off; I could smell the frustrated guys and girls, many of whom had been in the middle of their first sexual experience when the alarm was raised that I might have drowned. One couple had seen me on the trail though and so the search was moving to the woods and the camp proper when I showed up.

     Before leaving the next morning I was called to the director’s office and was informed that the counselor had been fired and was getting a total restriction of working around young girls. Something was expected, but I didn’t really know what so I nodded. He continued, “Could you please lift your sleeves for me, Miss al-Walid?” I complied and when he saw the bruises he looked pained, “Please except our sincere apologies. We have never had an incident like this before. I’d be glad to return your fees to you or extend free tuition for you or your family.”

     I shook my head as I said, “That won’t be necessary, he made his own choices and must live with the consequences. I have to admit that I held myself in check last night. I am glad you were there because I was not about to let him continue to manhandle me.” At his nod I continued with, “As for the bruises, I have had worse while training in self defense and I have the recipe for a poultice to speed the healing. There is nothing to worry about, I am perfectly fine.”

     The director smiled a half-hearted smile and said, “Be that as it may, I have already sent word to both your school and your parents.” He frowned as I looked upset by this fact, at his raised eyebrow I smiled ruefully and explained with no further prompt.

     “Sir, my father is likely to over react and if the poultice has not healed the bruises before he gets in touch with me, he will want to bring legal action into this and there just is no need of it. As for the school, they will probably restrict my free time and I have a furry friend that I like to visit in the woods around my school. Goliath helps to center me and he keeps me calm. Here I was alone for a long time and I meditated to stay centered.”

Soon I was on the ship heading back to school for my senior year.


	8. Chronicles of Jack:  My Cousin Kyra

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Necromongers might attack Hellion prime... Jackie has to get home! Will her foster father sign her out of school? If not, can she wait until her 18th birthday to sign herself out? Is she destined to lose everyone she loves?

_**Chronicles of Jack:** _

_**My Cousin Kyra** _

_**Chapter 8** _

    School was beginning to bore me, I had Goliath to keep me calm and centered and friends to talk to and hang out with. There were even some nemeses I’d deal with in a calm and efficient manor, but something was missing. The academic part of school was not the problem as my grades were good A+ s and Bs mostly. I had a C+ in Art, but I was not good at drawing or painting; my teacher said this last trimester would be creative art and should be easier for me.

     After talking to my foster parents about the lower grade one evening, I decided to try my hand at crochet and found that not only was I able to create recognizable hats, scarves and other clothing, I found some picture samples of baskets and doilies and soon I was making decorations for friends and my art grade was now an A-. I also found that when the weather was bad and I couldn't go out to Goliath, the knitting, crocheting and needle point would help to calm me. I even sent a few things to Ziza.

     Life was going fine at the boarding school; right up until the News channels all began to broadcast Necromonger activities in a nearby solar system. All hell really broke loose when the administration informed the student body that they would not stop students of legal age from signing themselves out if they chose to return home. The rest of us would have to be taken out with a legal signature of a parent or guardian. My foster father insisted all was well and I would be safer where I was then on a ship that could be blasted apart by the Necros if they came to our system.

     No one was able to concentrate on school work, even the teachers where constantly watching news broadcasts on the destruction left in the wake of the Necromongers path to the Undervers. Some planets and whole systems where devastated, as students whose parents felt we were safer in school; there was nothing we could do but pray for our family and friends back home and for ourselves here at school.

     It wasn't until I received a message from Kyra dated about two weeks before, where she said that her sources indicated the Necros were heading right toward Hellion Prime and would be there within the month that I decided there was no way I could let my family face this threat alone. I called home only to discover I could not get through. It was another few days before the News caster made the announcement that broke my heart.

_“We have just received word that the Necromongers have attacked Hellion prime and in a strange deviation from their previous attacks have not taken their converted and destroyed the world they left behind. They seem to be taking an unusual amount of time in “gathering people to convert”  according to one refugee that claims he witnessed a man claiming to be the Lord Marshal use some strange power to pull out a man’s soul for refusing the offer to convert. There is no way to confirm his claims and most other refugees insist that the Necromongers are shooting people that run or try to resist. They were only able to escape because they had hidden in basements or run for ships when they saw the comet that precedes them in the night sky. In other news…”_

     I was so shocked that I had stayed frozen to my seat until the news caster changed stories and then I was out the classroom door and running all out to the administration office. They still refused to allow me to leave until my 18th birthday or with a parent’s or legal guardian’s signature. I tried home again to no avail. I started preparing for my departure by buying a small two-man ship and refurbishing the engine. I packed my things in boxes and suitcases and put them in the ship.

     Having taken early release tests to graduate early, they were to send my diploma to my father’s house. On the day before my 18th birthday I had the ship gassed up and a full check on the engine. The next morning before breakfast I was in the office signing out early, soon I was on my way to New Mecca. My fears were heightened; I still could not get through on the phone or computer. No information was coming out of the system and no news footage had been smuggled out either.

     I had not been able to say goodbye to Goliath, I simply hugged him and ran with him for the last time two days before my birthday. Tears began falling freely as I set the auto-pilot to take me home; for once I was afraid that my fate had indeed been to lose everyone I ever loved. Even as I prayed to Allah to keep my family safe there was a part of me that believed I was going to find my family dead.

     Every time I fell asleep, I woke up screaming from dreams of **_monsters tearing at Ziza and our parents_**. I had nightmares were _**Kyra was slitting my father’s throat and Riddick stood there laughing**_. Then _ **Riddick was fighting an army trying to save my family and Kyra was yelling at him to kill a certain man, more men came at Riddick and he was being cut and shot over and over again**_. Finally when I thought Cryo-sleep might be my only option, I realized I was close to my destination and slept for about an hour when the sun-shields were forced down. I followed the pilot to the port and registered as a returning student to find they did not have a full list of the dead or converted people and still had not gotten a head count of survivors as of that moment.

     I set out for my foster father’s house and found a “new family” living there. Some older people had come up and explained that the Imam had been killed on the night of the invasion. They told of a bald man bringing my foster mother and her daughter home. That he disappeared and then the Armada was suddenly being raised off the ground. They were all afraid because the Necromonger weapon was going to be set off, but for some reason it was not. Then a large group of Necromongers came to get the child and her mother. They believed the same bald man was leading the group. They did not know if he had taken them somewhere else  as their house was not secure or if they had been taken with the Army when it left. I searched for my family for a week and then I went after the comet that was the Necromonger Armada and prayed the whole time that the bald man was Riddick and that Ziza and Lajjun were with him and safe!


End file.
